'Freedom Convoy' organizers testify at public inquiry and time to 'fall back': Five stories to watch this week

Hundreds of trucks remain parked on Wellington Street and surrounding streets in downtown Ottawa on day 10 of the "Freedom Convoy" demonstration in downtown Ottawa. (Josh Pringle/CTV News Ottawa)

Organizers of the 'Freedom Convoy' are scheduled to testify at the public inquiry looking into the use of the emergencies act, education workers could go on strike on Friday and it is time to change the clocks.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at five stories to watch in Ottawa this week.

Emergencies Act Inquiry

Ottawa's former police chief and organizers of the 'Freedom Convoy' protest are scheduled to testify this week at the public inquiry looking into the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act.

Peter Sloly will wrap up his testimony on Monday

On Friday, Sloly said briefings and reports he received leading up to the arrival of the convoy last January indicated it would be a weekend event, and defended the service's intelligence readings.

Sloly resigned two and a half weeks into the 'Freedom Convoy' protest over the government's COVID-19 mandates.

The witness list for this week also includes 'Freedom Convoy' organizer Tamara Lich, Chris Barber, Tom Marazzo, Pat King, Daniel Bulford, and Benjamin Ditcher.

Lich, Barber and King are facing charges for their alleged role in the protest.

Day 10 of the Freedom Convoy demonstration in downtown Ottawa in February 2022. (Josh Pringle/CTV News Ottawa)

Education workers could begin strike action on Friday

Education workers at three Ottawa school boards could walk off the job on Friday if a new collective agreement isn't negotiated with the province.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees issued a five-day notice to strike on Sunday, saying it will begin a "full withdrawal of service" on Nov. 4 if contract talks this week fail to negotiate a deal.

CUPE represents 55,0000 support workers across Ontario, including staff at the Ottawa Catholic School Board, the Conseil des écoles catholiques Centre-Est and Conseil des école publiques de I’Est.

The Ottawa Catholic School Board says if its 1,200 education workers go on strike, all classes will move to remote learning beginning on Nov. 4.

The Ottawa Carleton District School Board says none of its employees are represented by CUPE.

CUPE workers voted 96.5 per cent earlier this month in favour of a strike mandate if negotiations did not result in a new contract.

CUPE proposed a wage increase of $3.25 per hour in each year of a three-year agreement. The union says the government offered $0.33 to $0.53 an hour increase.

A classroom is pictured on Sept. 7, 2022. (Image source: CTV News Winnipeg)

Transition at Ottawa City Hall

The transition for the new mayor and council will continue this week at Ottawa City Hall.

Mayor Jim Watson will welcome Mayor-elect Mark Sutcliffe to the mayor's office on Monday morning for a transition briefing.

Sutcliffe was elected mayor of Ottawa on Oct. 24, winning 51 per cent of the vote.

The 11 new councillors will continue with council orientation this week, and preparing their offices for the swearing in on Nov 15.

Mark Sutcliffe waves after delivering his victory speech after being elected Mayor of Ottawa in the 2022 municipal election, in Ottawa, on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Light Rail Transit construction update

Transit riders and elected officials will receive an update this week on construction on Stage 2 of Ottawa's Light Rail Transit Project.

The Finance and Economic Development Committee will receive the quarterly Stage 2 update on Tuesday morning.

In August, city staff said construction on the Trillium Line, running from Bayview Station to Riverside South, was up to a year behind schedule and not expected to be completed until next summer.

Meantime, construction on the eastern extension of the Confederation Line to Tenth Line Road is on schedule to be completed in May 2024, but labour strikes and supply issues could delay work on the Confederation Line western extension to Algonquin College and Moodie Drive until 2025.

The original target date to run LRT from Tunney's Pasture to Moodie Drive and Algonquin College was 2025.

The City of Ottawa officially began construction on the Stage 2 LRT tunnel that will run under the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway and Byron Linear Park. (Photo courtesy: Twitter/JimWatsonOttawa)

Time to fall back

Daylight time ends next weekend, and our clocks go back one hour.

The bi-annual time change is at 2 a.m. on Nov. 6, when our clocks go back an hour and we gain the hour of sleep lost at the beginning of daylight time in March.

In 2020, Ontario passed legislation that would end the bi-annual time change, making daylight saving time permanent in the province. The bill, introduced by former MPP Jeremy Roberts, stated Ontario would end standard time if both New York and Quebec make the change.